Chapter 9 #2
“I’ll see about a bridge to the castle later. This is for the better. The castle being there on my terms makes everything easier to cope with,” I admitted.
“You are an efficient being, and unfinished tasks tend to bother you. As far as mortal failings go, it is not a bad one.”
We met Lucifer and Yuless halfway to the pasture, and the Devil heaved a sigh over us. “I should have known you’d involve yourself, Azrael.”
“It was time, and the horses were curious,” the Archangel of Death replied in a cool tone. “I do admit the castle adds a certain ambience.”
“It’s far cleaner than I was expecting it to be after its many years down there. Might I inquire why you decided the castle should be present, Crystal?”
“If my lake is going to have a castle in it, it will have a clean castle. Honestly, the castle is a consequence of the other work I was handling. All things need a purpose.”
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, and he stared in the direction of the castle and its node. “Ah. I understand now. That is quite clever. I would not have considered that as a solution.”
“That is why she is as she is, and it serves as a reminder to why we need her rather than the other way around,” Azrael commented. “How are you enjoying Florida, Yuless?”
“It’s changed since the last time I was here, but it’s suiting me well enough.” The tall, dark, and handsome eyed the castle. “I’m entertained to say the least. It’s not every day castles just show up.”
Something about his tone caught my attention, but I couldn’t figure out what he implied—if he implied anything at all.
Then again, if he could handle the surprise appearance of a castle, he could probably handle the realities of life the day of a race, assuming I could train him to properly saddle and handle Alligator Bait.
When opportunity knocked, I took care with how I opened the door.
However, as I didn’t want the chance to slip me by, I said, “Alligator Bait would love to entertain you, but she’s a bit headstrong, so she’ll keep you on your toes.
If you want to be loved into submission, I recommend you work with David first.”
Lucifer laughed. “We learned that David is the truest definition of a gentle giant. Yuless also learned your horses play dead in the pasture.”
“Carcass time is sacred.”
Yuless stared at me. “You call that carcass time?”
I nodded. “The first time I saw communal carcass time, I about had a heart attack. All three of my horses, dead in their pasture? No, it was just nap time, and they had learned the pasture is safe, so they got proper sleep. Horses can nap standing up, but they lie down for their best sleep. My horses are champion sleepers. They don’t even bother with having one stand guard while the others sleep.
They all just go down for carcass time together, and that’s that.
If I want to get those grain guzzlers up, I best come with the treat bag.
They will interrupt carcass time for treats. ”
As the last thing I needed was anyone fussing over the castle and my decision to rope myself into dealing with the castle and the dragon of my own accord, I nudged Conquest in the direction of the house, where I might at least distract my guests with the property as a whole.
Careful to keep my legs engaged, I reached down to offer my colt some butt rubs, which earned me the baby’s approval.
Time would fix most of his bad habits, or so I hoped. Well, time and a great deal of patience.
Yuless regarded the castle for another few minutes before he turned Zenzi to follow me. “And you do not mind the castle being there?”
“If I minded, I would have locked it down and pissed the owner off rather than simplify his life. And that’s all I know about the owner, for the record. The owner is male, and the owner happens to be a dragon. I’ll figure out the rest as I go.”
“You’re going to regret that,” Lucifer warned.
“What haven’t I regretted in some fashion or another lately?
” I pointed at the colt, who kicked his heels and threw a temper tantrum because I’d stopped giving him attention.
“Take this little shit. He’s going to cost me my sanity, but he’s so cute I’m going to be forced to like it.
But my sanity is going to be gone.” Alligator Bait, tamed from her breeze, stood patiently for the Devil, and I praised her for being a good girl.
“I’m going to have to teach this lady a special rotation to get us to race day without her trying to buck me off or prove to me she’s the boss.
I’m hoping if I breeze her every four days and do a better routine between breezes that she’ll be a little more cooperative, but I’m expecting her to test me.
That’s what horses like her do. They push the limits. ”
“But that’s why horses like her tend to win,” the Devil replied with a grin.
“Would it make you feel better if we did some practice races? I am sure I can convince the horse owners in my life, along with some of the unicorns, to participate in some training races. I can even acquire a proper gate and some minions to help with the restraining of the beasts. There is no reason her breezing can’t be done in race format.
Your version of breezing is essentially a race, and racing will give you a chance to improve your skills, which you will need when it comes time to actually run against experienced jockeys. ”
The experienced jockeys would be a problem. My first race, they’d humored me—and they’d all been shocked when I’d gotten the win, playing the track smart and conserving Alligator Bait’s strength and allowing her to take advantage of her stride length and size.
That day had transformed the Triple Crown from a pipe dream to a feasible chance.
“If Yuless wants to help as a groom, seeing how races work would be a good idea.”
“I can help,” the tall, dark, and handsome replied.
I was doomed. Surely, I was being punished for some horrible crime I’d done in a past life. How was I supposed to handle actually working with him?
Would I even be capable of focusing on my work with such nice scenery around?
The Devil stared at me with a rather puzzled expression. “I think you mean rewarded. Try not to think such nonsense, Crystal. Someone as smart and confident as you should not be indulging in such blatant self-esteem issues.”
At least he hadn’t told my dirty secret to the subject of my interest.
Judging from Lucifer’s sigh, I vexed him. “Now I’m questioning what I have done to be punished so.”
“You breathed,” Azrael muttered.
If the Archangel of Death and the Devil sparred, would any of us survive? “Please do not start the apocalypse today. Dealing with the landscaping was tiring enough, but at least my office will have a spectacular view now. And Lucifer?”
“Yes?”
“If you happen to see that dragon, please request that he wait until after the Triple Crown to see what I’ve done with his place. I don’t need any additional projects right now. I have a plethora of projects.”
“Did you just call him a project?” Lucifer asked, and he blinked.
“Well, yes. Isn’t that what he is? He’s a big project destined to devour hours upon hours of my day. I’m not ready to lose hours upon hours of my day yet. I have shit to do! Getting eaten by a dragon is not one of those things.”
Azrael’s laughter chimed. “Good luck with her, my brother. You are going to need it. I will take the other horses home. I am certain Conquest can find his way back to his pasture at his leisure—and if he doesn’t, you can tell the other facets where he went.
If you could, perhaps, inform Anwen regarding the Fates, thus sparing me from that task, I might even be forced to be vocally appreciative of your existence. ”
“Can you be vocally appreciative to my wife?”
“I can.”
“You have a deal.”
Azrael vanished, and he took Death, Famine, and War with him.
“He secretively loves me,” Lucifer announced.
“Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better,” Yuless replied, shaking his head. “But why do you think a dragon is going to eat you?”
“Georgia,” I replied. “After Georgia, the wise assume the dragon is hungry and hope for the best. If the dragon isn’t hungry, well, I don’t actually have a plan and will make it up as I go.”
“Don’t mind her,” Lucifer advised. “Everyone in this era has the exact wrong idea about what it means to be sacrificed to a sleeper. Just wait until her neighbors figure out the castle isn’t just a rumor.
Things are about to become quite interesting.
I recommend that you come pay her a visit at eight in the morning. That’s when the fun begins.”
I foresaw mayhem, chaos, and numerous attempts on my life through salmonella contaminated pie among a bunch of commentary regarding the castle, its missing occupant, and what would surely happen to the street should I not be fed to the hungry dragon.
I would even be a nice person and not inform them that I would hardly count as a snack to a dragon capable of devouring three entire cities.
Because I could have a sense of humor and a scrap of maliciousness from time to time, I smiled and said, “I fully plan on sharing several ways of roasting a dragon with them tomorrow, and I’ll catch an alligator to use as a living demonstration.
If they’re going to try to sacrifice me to some dragon, I’m going to at least leave my mark on the street. ”
The Devil burst into laughter. “You better get here by seven, Yuless—I’ll meet you at her gate, and I’ll bring the wife and kids. Some things simply can’t be missed.”
“Dress nicely,” I requested. “That way, I can at least pretend you’re here on official business.
You might even help salvage what’s left of my reputation.
” I gestured to my hair, which I dyed early and often and used magic to make certain not a scrap of my blonde roots showed through.
“I’m even going to dress in all black, and it will be sassy casual. ”
“Wear pearls,” Lucifer recommended.
“I don’t own any,” I admitted.